Plate heat exchangers often use nozzles that are attached to a head or follower sometimes referred to as slabs (or fixed and moveable plates). It is often desirable to attach the nozzles to the slabs so that they may resist movement with respect to the slabs in several directions. For example, it may be undesirable to have the nozzle move axially with respect to the nozzle through the slab. It may also undesirable to have the nozzle move with respect to the slab in a rotational direction about the axis of the nozzle. Further, it may be desirable to have the nozzle secured the slab in such a way as the nozzle resists a moment put on the nozzle in a direction parallel to the surface of the slab.
In some designs, the nozzles are attached to the slabs by welding. While welding may work well in resisting axial movement, rotation and moments, welding can be expensive and suffers other drawbacks.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus that allows a nozzle installed in the slab of a heat exchanger to resist axial movement, rotational movement and a moment in a direction parallel to the surface of the slab without having the drawbacks of welding.